Critics, analysts, and some iFans were initially disappointed when the iPhone 4S was announced earlier this month, but the buying public didn't seem to be bothered by the "warmed over iPhone 4" when it was officially made available this past Friday. After seeing initial pre-orders top one million units, Apple announced today that it sold over four million iPhone 4Ses over the weekend.

For comparison, Apple sold 1.7 million units of the iPhone 4 during its first three days of availbility.

“iPhone 4S is off to a great start with more than four million sold in its first weekend—the most ever for a phone and more than double the iPhone 4 launch during its first three days,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “iPhone 4S is a hit with customers around the world, and together with iOS 5 and iCloud, is the best iPhone ever.”

The iPhone 4S features an 800MHz dual-core A5 processor, 8MP rear camera, dual-mode CDMA/GSM network compatibility, and Siri voice recognition technology. Prices range from $199 for the 16GB iPhone 4S to $399 for the 64GB model with a two-year contract.

Want to avoid that "third-world labor" (it's really second-world, but don't let facts get in the way)? Stop using technology.

That Windows PC you're using? Made at the same plants. That Android phone you have in your hand? Made in similar conditions. Also, Apple is not selling the iPhone for three times its actual value, because all those teardowns only factor in the raw parts and assembly cost, not research, development, marketing, or even shipping.

I'm not excusing the plant conditions (though Foxconn has lately more than doubled pay), but you've bought into a lie that's increasingly being repeated as fact: that somehow Apple, and only Apple, has its products made in those circumstances. Where do you think Dell, HP, HTC, and others go to make hardware when their gear is stamped "made in China?" A holiday resort?

No, Apple is singled out in the media for coverage both because it's one of the larger customers and, well, because it's Apple. Everyone who covers tech for a living knows that Dell had to use contractors with substandard working conditions to get that desktop down to $299; they don't realize that the same companies also have facilities to make considerably higher quality products.

Everyone does it. It isn't good, but singling out Apple is ridiculous, especially since a lot of the abuses (especially child labor) in Apple's plant were discovered by their own inspection and they made Foxconn address it. Wages have also gone up there since then: http://www.kitguru.net/channel/carl/apple-help-fox...

I totally makes sense that Apple would get this media attention since they are the largest tech company in the world and are therefore the largest target, same happened with Microsoft in the 90s, but it is stupid fodder for arguments given that every other electronics manufacturer does the same with comparably priced or even more expensive products.